Amidst the Flames
by Jaidyn Reiman
Summary: Created for destruction, I chose protection. Made for darkness, I chose light. However, faced with the foreknowledge that my true purpose is yet to be revealed, can I go on? Can I destroy my friend? Based on the future of Sonic the Hedgehog 2006. Read & Review.
1. Fallen

_I stood upon the cold, empty ground. There was no wind. There was no grass. All was gone, torched by the flames. The sun had turned a deep, dark red. Such was the days of the world. It had been as such for ever so long. Ever since that day, THE day, the day of Iblis, nothing remained the same._

_The fires of Iblis killed millions. Within a few days of Iblis' release, the entire island of Soleanna ceased to exist. Iblis' great power dragged the entire island under the depths of the ocean, killing just about all of its inhabitants. By this time, though, it didn't matter, as many had already fled, anyway. About half of them drowned in the ocean just to try and get to the mainland._

_The fires spread, the smoke rose, and fear was instilled across the globe. After the destruction of Soleanna, Central City became Iblis's first target. Due to the events that occurred, the city was engulfed in flames, and still is. Everyone within the boundaries of the city at the time died. It has sense been spoken out as a cursed place, known as 'Death City' or 'Crisis City.'_

_Within the mountains north of Central City, Iblis made his home. No one except the few brave people left in the world ever dared to enter. Those who did go in barely came back out alive, if at all. The areas around Central City and Iblis's home in the mountains quickly were engulfed in flames and magma. The demon most frequently traversed Central City, but did often leave and go elsewhere._

_The world peacekeeping force, GUN, still kept in action. However, many of it's members left out of fear. The Commander, William Reich Stryker, was in the GUN base at the time of Iblis's attack on Central City, and managed to survive. He kept going for another twenty years in running the organization, but he died at the old age of seventy-six._

_William's son, Jason, took control of the organization at the age of forty-four, and has since been trying to fulfill his father's wishes. However, after twenty-six years of watching Iblis' destruction, he finally decided to wage an all-out assault on the demon. Out of the fifty agents whom fought to try and destroy Iblis, only two managed to survive._

_E-123 Omega was disabled during the battle, but I escaped with the robot in my clutches and repaired him afterwards. Due to the heavy loss of life, and the fact that I was the only one to make it out safely, the entire blame was placed on myself for the incident. Ever since, I have been on the run, with the help of my good friend Rouge the Bat, and also Omega, too. Well, at least until yesterday…_

_I stood in a graveyard built in the mountains of the Mystic Ruins. Many, many rows of tombstones lay here, in a cluttered mess. The inscription written upon the one in front of me spoke a saddening tale. Rouge the Bat: 2182 A.D. – 2250 A.D. She had lived a long life, but finally, she fell to the graves of old age._

**Amidst The Flames**

**_Chapter 1 – Fallen_**

Shadow the Hedgehog stood on the cold ground. He stared down upon the grave of his beloved friend, and couldn't help but shed a tear. They had been through so much together. However, he had known that this day would come. His friends would fall, yet he lingered.

Metal footsteps echoed in the air. Shadow turned to his right and saw Omega nearing him. The hedgehog sighed. He could guess what it was. "They're coming, aren't they?" he asked.

The robot nodded. **"They were spying on us. When Rouge died, they sent troops here. We must hurry,"** Omega stated.

Shadow nodded. "Alright, then. We'd best get going," he spoke. However, the words did not come out as he intended. They were a bit broken, as if something was keeping him from saying them correctly. The hedgehog just shrugged it off.

Omega walked forward, and Shadow followed. However, after taking a step, he stopped. Omega kept going for a bit, until realizing that Shadow wasn't coming. He turned around. **"Do not burden yourself. We must leave immediately,"** the robot stated.

Shadow couldn't help himself. However, he knew that he couldn't stay. He took one final glance back at the grave. "Goodbye, Rouge," he said.

Omega turned his head and glanced at the stone. What did these people find in such strange actions? What caused one to want to bury the fallen? He knew that he would never understand such emotions, so he just ignored it.

Shadow and Omega made their way down the side of the mountain and into the forest… well, what was left of it, at least. This forest was formerly the Mystic Jungle. Now, though, it was a wasteland. Nothing remained save dead trees. Most of the rivers that had once run through here were replaced by lava pools.

Some civilians lived in this forest, most secluded from civilization. Just about all of the ones who were here had died, not knowing the dangers that lay ahead. Off the top of his head, Shadow remembered a cat that had once lived in this jungle. As far as he knew, that cat had died, as well.

Those that were still alive moved into the mountains. Iblis rampaged throughout this entire area, but always avoided climbing into the mountains. As such, most refugees moved up into them, and the new GUN Headquarters was moved into them, as well. There are some places that managed to avoid Iblis's wrath all-together, but those are few and far beyond.

Night Babylon is a city surrounding by mountains, and is located northeast of what was once Central City. It is one such place, as Iblis never dared to climb through the mountains to try and reach it. The city is half covered in mountains, casting a shadow over the entire city all day long.

Yet another such location is Future City. Future City was originally located west of the Mystic Mountains, which lay west of Central City. After Iblis' rampage, though, the citizens of Future City developed technology to lift the entire city high into the air.

Despite these two notable avoidances, though, many major cities had been destroyed. Soleanna's cities had long since been destroyed, and Central City soon came. Station Square followed shortly after, and after that, Westopolis was conquered over. By this time, though, the citizens had known long enough about Iblis's rampage, and had already evacuated. It still didn't slow the ever growing numbers, though.

This forest wasn't useful for much of anything. The only good it seemed to serve was a method of escape for the two fugitives, as no one else dared come here. However, they both knew of something worth value. Not even Iblis liked going here. Passed the mountains to the south, there was a small piece of land known as the 'Mystic Ruin.' This was named so due to the ancient ruin just north of it passed the mountains.

The Mystic Ruins was once a well-enjoyed tourist spot, but was now completely void. It still had some sentiment value, though. Most notably is the fact that it hadn't been touched by Iblis, and as such, Tails' Workshop was still intact. Though the young fox had suffered a terrible fate—having been unable to get off of the island of Soleanna before it was destroyed—along with Sonic, Knuckles, and Amy, Shadow decided to not let the fox's work go to waste.

Shadow and Omega arrived at the building and entered. The hedgehog went into the main room, thinking about what had happened. Omega entered into the main room, not fully understanding everything. What was he so upset about? Surely, she have been repaired, right? Couldn't one simply fix it?

No, that mustn't be possible. So, was this that 'death' everyone talked about? When one falls into death, they… they don't come back. It's like a never ending sleep, never to wake up ever again. Omega lowered his head, not saying a word. All was quiet.

_**XXXXX**_

A few soldiers scrambled quickly through the rock-barren waste. They rushed forward and down a narrow, steep pathway. Ahead, they found the graveyard. In the third row from the far front of the lines of tombs, third from the end, a new grave had been dug. This surprised them.

One of the three soldiers turned around. "Commander!" he called out.

An elderly, dark figure hobbled his way through. He was sixty-six years old, the red of his hair fading. However, he was quite fit despite his age, but still was unable to move as quickly as he used to. He found the new grave in the pathway, his guards accompanying him.

The Commander kneeled down, examining the grave. "So, she has finally passed," he stated, solemnly. "All my life I only wanted her, but she denied me for… him."

The youngest of the three soldiers examined the path down into the Forbidden Woods, seeing something strange. He turned back. "Hey, I found something!" the boy called out.

The other two soldiers, ages twenty-seven and thirty-two, respectively, ran over. The Commander followed, moving as quickly as he could.

Two sets of tracks led down into the forest. The first was smaller, but were then replaced by huge imprints that covered the previous—barely making the first set noticeable. The elder nodded, then chuckled to himself. "So, that's where they've been hiding," he whispered to himself.

The middle-aged man of thirty-two turned to his leader. "You mean we're going in there?" he asked.

The commander nodded in reply. "Yes, of course. That's the only way we will be able to destroy that traitor! Once he's dead, we can make our plans for a second assault against Iblis, putting our entire strength forth."

The twenty-seven-year-old stared at his leader in surprise. "But, that's suicide!"

His elder glared at him. "What other choice do we have? We've got to stop that beast before it destroys the world!" The old man turned away. "Send for our best men. Shadow must be hiding in the Mystic Ruins. We have to capture them before they find out we're onto them."

The older two didn't move. Finally, the younger one did. He was merely a boy of fifteen. "Roger!" he proclaimed.

The boy ran off, but the guards stayed back. They wouldn't let their leader die. The elder chuckled to himself, speaking in a deep, raspy voice. "Shadow, you have met your match!"

* * *

**Author's Note(s)**: May need some work, but I don't care, it's staying like this for the moment. This is a one-off from my trilogies. It is unrelated to them, but it's still an ordinary fic--not a oneshot. The events are based on the future portrayed in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Yeah,. it's early, but I was bored.  



	2. Found

_I sat upon nothing, dreaming the emptiness. She suddenly appeared beside me. I gasped out in surprise. She grabbed my hand. Those aged hands that held me so long. I was nothing more than a child. I hadn't aged a day, and my mind never matured. Everything is so empty, so alone. Nothing is real. Nothing is alive._

_This place… it was once the workshop of a friendly fox. However, he fell into the see along with the entire island of Soleanna. Sonic, the famed hero, tried to fight Iblis the instant it was released. However, he fell to the flames, succumbing to the awesome might of the dreaded Flames of Disaster._

_Rouge was cut off from her home, but we made this our place. Here is where we brought Omega. Using the old workshop of Miles Prower, together we rebuilt him. This was truly our place…_

**Amidst The Flames**

_**Chapter 2 – Found**_

Shadow jolted awake. He had fallen asleep! Suddenly, he heard a noise outside. Wait, gunfire…?

Bullets pinged off of the android's armor. He stood in front of the building, guarding the remains of the place. The soldiers approached, refusing to give up. Another came up from behind and decided to resort to desperate measures. He pulled out a grenade.

Omega saw the weapon. Finally, he lifted up his hand. **"You will not enter here,"** the robot spoke.

A black figure lunged in front of the robot, and everything stopped. Shadow stood in front of Omega, arms outstretched. "Do not fight them! That will only make things worse than they already are."

Omega did not understand this. He backed away, but kept his weapon poised. Why was Shadow protecting them? Weren't they trying to capture him?

"Get him!" a voice called out.

Two soldier's grabbed Shadow's arms, pulling him back. The black hedgehog immediately tore his hands free, but was suddenly pushed aside. Omega charged his cannon's. **"You were warned. Prepare for annihilation,"** he stated.

Shadow glared at the android. "Stop!" he cried out.

Omega turned to Shadow. Immediately, a small object rolled up in front of the android. The soldier's darted away. Shadow dashed up to the android, grabbed his arm. The two disappeared just as a huge explosion rocked the hillside.

The grenade fell exactly where it had intended. The commander watched from a distance as the explosion triggered linked to gas lines underneath the ground, blowing the entire structure and its surrounding area to smithereens. Nothing remained of the hedgehog or the android.

**_XXXXX_**

The commander walked down from where he watched, moving passed the soldiers and to where the workshop once had been. Ah, he remembered that place. Tails loved to always hang out here, tinkering on his machines. It was a pity that it had to be destroyed.

He watched the entire hillside go up in flames. However, he wasn't satisfied. "When that fire dies down, survey the wreckage. Make sure the two are dead. I expect you will find nothing, though, as that hedgehog has powers over time and space. Still, at least now their hideout has been obliterated."

He stared at the wreckage, remembering that hedgehog from the past. Shadow had fooled everyone for so long, and they had fallen for it!

The elderly man turned and left. "Hurry up and finish your search. What's you're done, we will hunt down that hedgehog and dispose of him. His powers are still active, but not strong. Shadow couldn't have gone far, but still enough to get out of harm's way."

He gritted his teeth. _'You will pay, hedgehog. You will pay!'_

**_XXXXX_**

Shadow and Omega appeared in thin air. The hedgehog swiftly curled in midair, landing on his feet. Omega crashed into the ground, not expecting the sudden transport.

The black hedgehog looked around. They were on top of a rocky gully. Up ahead, he could see the edge of the cliff. He quickly darted forward and looked over. They had been transported high up onto the mountainside near the valley. The smoldering remains of Tails' Workshop showed itself clearly. Soldiers surveyed the scene, but Shadow knew they would find nothing.

Omega lifted his upper torso up, and then raised his lower half. He stared at the hedgehog, surprised by his actions. **"Why do you protect them?"** he finally asked.

Shadow turned around in surprise. He stood up, his quills blowing in the wind. "Because it is the right thing to do," he finally stated.

The robot found the comment awkward. **"How do you determine right from wrong?"** he asked.

The black hedgehog stared at the robot. "You follow your heart. Feelings inside you help to determine what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes, personal wishes or temptations of others attempt to quench that feeling, but you've got to keep at it. Just because others do something, that doesn't make it good or bad."

Omega was bewildered by the strange statements. He tried to piece it together, but could not figure out exactly what the black hedgehog meant. **"I do not understand."**

Shadow smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure you will eventually. Even you have a heart."

The robot was even more confused. How was that possible? What did he mean? It was such illogical, irrational thinking, but did it have a true outer meaning somewhere, waiting to be let out?

The black hedgehog darted back over to the cliff's edge. The soldiers were regrouping, forming around… someone, or something. Wait, was that…? No way, it was impossible! Shadow backed away in surprise. Could it be, though? He died! He died fighting alongside Sonic. Even if he did survive Iblis, though, how did he get off of the island before…

Shadow gritted his teeth. He spun around and raced ahead. The path was open. They were on the way top of the mountainside, over the path that led to the jungle. Up ahead should be a path leading down below. He nodded. "We must go," he called out.

Omega turned to Shadow. He nodded, but didn't say a word. He found no need to.


	3. Followed

_I ran as fast as my legs could take me. My air shoes had long since worn out and now I had to resort to running. Without them, though, I struggled. However, they persisted. What in the world were they doing?! They were turning against a fellow ally. I explained the situation, what had happened, yet now they turn against me?_

_The soldiers persisted. I raced forward, but suddenly ran into a dead end. Solid rock wall sealed me in on all sides. Nothing allowed for my escape. I turned around. Wielding their weapons, they approached. However, the group of soldiers split in two. Out from there ranks, HE came. No way, it was impossible! He was still alive…?_

_The commander stared at me. "It's been a long time, Shadow," he said. "Now we've caught you red-handed. Say your prayers, hedgehog!" He then nodded, giving the 'go ahead' to the soldiers. They aimed their weapons, and…_

_I was grabbed up into the air and carried off. The commander stared in bewilderment. "Rouge?!" he called out._

_Rouge lifted me up onto the rock formation, but then collapsed to the ground out of exhaustion. I grabbed her off the ground, but turned back. The soldiers started shooting up, the commander yelling. He was still alive…?_

**Amidst The Flames**

_**Chapter 3 – Followed**_

Shadow shook the thoughts out of his head. He was among the living four years ago, and he's still alive now. He sure does make his way around. He doesn't even look all that much older. Well, save for the fact that his hair turned from red to a dull pink. He couldn't possibly be as strong as he used to be, but he was certainly headstrong.

The black hedgehog ran as fast as his legs could take him. Omega followed behind, using his jets to hoist himself in the air. The robot still didn't understand exactly what was going on, but he kept to himself. What was it that Shadow saw…? More importantly, why did he care so much about it? The robot still did not understand the feelings of these creatures. Maybe it was best that way, but still…

"I see them, there they are!" a voice yelled out.

Shadow spun left, seeing a silver hedgehog jump down from the cliff side. He was about sixteen years old and three feet seven inches in height. The kid was on of the GUN soldiers, and a personal friend of the commander's. His father had died in the accident four years ago, and the commander took him in. Shadow recalled that his name was Psych, after his telekinetic powers.

Psych wore brown leather gloves and shoes of the same color and style. He had an awkwardly grown quill that started on his forehead, which grew along the top of his head then down back behind him. All his other quills had grown normally, though.

The kid ran up to the commander, pointing up on the hilltop. "They're up there!" he called out.

HE glared at Shadow then pointed his hand forward. "Get them!" he yelled out.

Omega stared at the soldiers, and then turned back to Shadow. The black hedgehog nodded, running forward. Omega ran up behind, then activated his jets to propel himself forward. The rocky path proved to be quite difficult to manage, allowing the robot and the black hedgehog to get further ahead.

Large pillars of stone jutted out in many directions, while at the same time, the pathway narrowed. It began to lift up onto a higher rock formation, which had built up due to Iblis's destruction of Soleanna. A large piece of the island had broken off, crashing into the mainland just west of the Mystic Ruin area. This caused the plateau to lift up, overlooking the entire forest below.

Unfortunately, that plateau led into a dead end. Shadow slowed to a stop just as he reached the end. He had forgotten about this, as there was a path leading down over to the sides. The black hedgehog turned forward, overlooking the flaming pit ahead of them. The Forbidden Woods was all that was left of the jungle, now filled with lava flows and blackened trees. That wasn't the problem, though.

Shadow turned around as the soldiers raced up the plateau. He could easily fight his way through. However, after that incident, he didn't want to harm anyone. That would only make things worse. Despite this, he knew he had to keep strong. Fight the good fight, just not them. They weren't his enemy; they only thought that he was theirs.

Omega turned around. **"Grab onto me,"** the robot stated.

The soldiers closed in on them. They were just about to the top. Shadow snarled. "I'll see you guys later," he proclaimed.

The battle robot jumped down off the plateau. Shadow quickly dived after him, grabbing onto his right shoulder. Omega activated his jet and they hovered down to safety.

**_XXXXX_**

The commander raced to the top of the plateau. He curled his hand into a fist, snarling. "They got away again!"

One of the soldiers turned to him. "Sir, they've entered into the forbidden woods. We can't pursue them any longer."

His leader shook his head. "No, we go through!"

The soldier turned back immediately, and the others did as well. "But, sir!"

The commander grabbed him by the neck. "I gave you an order. Now move out!"

He nodded in reply. "Yes, sir."

The soldiers moved down the hilltop. The leader glared at the two fugitives as they made there move. He suddenly felt a hand on his back. He turned around.

Psych stared into his leader's green irises, a look of worry on his face. "Commander…?" he asked.

The commander nodded. "Return to base. You take over for me in my stead. Understand?"

The hedgehog looked up in surprise. "But…"

The elder one shook his head. "No buts. Go!" he stated.

Turning around, he immediately jumped off the plateau. He glided gently through the air, knowing that this would be his last. Psych watched him go, but didn't back down. Determination on his face, he tried something he never did before. Using the emerald he had found earlier, he used its energy to lift himself off of the ground, following behind his leader. Psych was going to protect him at all costs.


	4. Trapped

_This forest… beautiful and majestic. It was a place of refuge, hiding beneath the covers of civilization. Often, I would sneak away when all had passed. The world moved on, and so did I. Covered in darkness, it was my refuge. My dreams lay here, and now had been all-but shattered when the flames burned it all away. My forgotten hope was that it would be renewed. I knew that it would never come to pass._

**Amidst the Flames**

_**Chapter 4 – Trapped**_

Shadow ran as fast as his legs could muster. It wasn't nearly as fast as he had hoped, though. The flames drained his energy, but time played a far greater role. The black hedgehog was barely able to keep up with Omega beside him. The robot was heavy, but kept afloat using his hover jets behind him. The hedgehog was sweating like crazy, barely able to keep up, but he drove himself forward.

The black hedgehog glanced behind him, but then noticed that the soldiers were riding on floating bikes. He also noticed that their numbers had increased. _'Extreme Gear!'_ he told himself.

Omega glanced over at Shadow, whom had just turned back forward. The android studied the hedgehog's look, carefully. **"What is wrong?"** he asked.

Shadow nodded. He turned around. However, they were gone! The hedgehog slid to a stop, and Omega immediately put on the brakes. Shadow gritted his teeth as the robot stepped beside him. "They're hiding," he stated. "By now they've already surrounded us."

Omega felt a hand on his shoulder. The robot looked down. "We will have to fight, but we cannot take lives. Once we get through, we will immediately make for the city. They won't follow us in there, for Iblis lurks frequently within."

The robot bowed his head, but remained confused. **"I do not understand,"** he stated. **"Why do you not fight?"**

Shadow opened his mouth, but then gunfire erupted. The hedgehog jumped to the right. Omega simply stood his ground, but still confused about the situation. More gunfire erupted, bouncing off of Omega's armor. Shadow immediately ducked to the ground, launching a bolt of energy toward a nearby rock. Bullet fire had come straight at him, but the blast melted them away.

The black hedgehog glanced around. The trees had all been burned, but some still managed to survive. A couple dead trees were still large enough to house soldiers. To the left was a large boulder, powerful enough to deflect anything they could do and yet large enough to house quite a few soldiers. Ahead, more soldiers came into view, and Shadow even heard some from behind.

GUN was, at one time, a human organization. Now it was home to anyone who wished to join—humans and anthros alike. Such was the case here, and many of them consisted of either. A red figure walked up in front of him, the current leader. Shadow gasped out. So he was correct.

Omega neared Shadow, and the hedgehog jumped back onto his feet. The gunfire had stopped for the moment, but Shadow knew why. The commander approached.

The leader snickered. He stopped twenty feet away, glaring at Shadow and Omega from a distance. "Long time no see, Shadow," the familiar voice proclaimed.

Shadow hissed. "Long time no see," he stated in reply. The hedgehog curled his hand into a fist. "What of that emerald of yours? Did you just abandon it on that island in the sky, Knuckles?"

Knuckles snickered. The echidna had aged greatly, but he was still alive. If he went at the same rate Rouge did, he'd likely die in a couple years. The echidna was well-built, though, so he could likely last even longer.

The current commander of GUN, Knuckles the Echidna, stood his ground. "So long as Iblis lurks, the Master Emerald will be safe for no one else is. Our technology is decimated, ground down to a minimum. My place is here, fighting off outcasts like you!"

The black hedgehog narrowed his eyes. He had to buy some time! "You look good for being sixty-six years old," he stated sarcastically.

Knuckles laughed. "And you look even better for one hundred fifteen. What did you do, threaten to kill Professor Gerald so you could gain immortality? That's the only reason why one of his reputation would ever create something so evil."

"I didn't kill those people!" Shadow yelled out.

The echidna shrugged it off. "Yeah, right, like I'd truly believe that now. I fell for your tricks far too long. I can't believe that at one time I actually _trusted_ you. William was right about you the first time. You are a dark, evil creature that must be destroyed for the good of the world!"

Knuckles stopped. He backed away and immediately gunfire erupted. Shadow dodged to the side and launched a bolt of golden energy behind him. Before it hit home, though, he pulled his hand back at it exploded. The soldiers were knocked down, but still both alive and conscious.

Omega, trying to keep true to Shadow's wish, stood in the center and did nothing. The bullet fire did not effect him at all, so he simply waited for Shadow to find a way out of it. He still didn't understand everything, though. Wasn't Knuckles Shadow's friend? Why would the echidna betray Shadow? Even still, what did Shadow do?

Shadow rolled right, behind Omega. The soldiers quickly regained their footing and continued firing. The hedgehog nodded to himself. He disappeared, but quickly reappeared behind the soldiers ahead of them. They were positioned on either side of a large rock formation sticking out of the ground. Shadow came out on the right side of it.

He turned around and hammered a punch into the back of the first soldier. There were three more, and each turned to him. The hedgehog flipped backwards and shot a chaos bolt ahead. The next one went down, but the others continued firing. Shadow dashed forward, dodging the bullets, and sent a swift kick across that knocked the final ones down. He checked their pulses as quickly as possible, realizing that they were still alive. He nodded to himself.

Shadow dashed back behind a rock formation, it deflecting all the gunfire from the soldiers. He beckoned for Omega, and the robot nodded. Omega turned around and walked through the waves of bullets. All still deflected off of him, leaving absolutely no mark.

Knuckles grew angry. "Destroy them!" he yelled out.

The gunfire continued, but Omega was unharmed. The soldiers on the perimeter got back up again, but quickly ran away. The path now free, Omega was able to dash ahead. An explosion rocked the ground behind him, then another came out in front. Shadow yelled out, but the vision of E-123 suddenly went blank.

The battle android crashed into the ground at the foot of the rock formation the soldiers were hovering around. Knuckles ran up to the perimeter penetrated by Shadow, but the hedgehog quickly dashed off. "Damn you!" he lashed out, angrily.

"Sir," a soldier stated nearby. "He's still functional!"

Knuckles turned to Omega. The robot was relatively undamaged, despite being hit by that RPG. It was deactivated by the blast for the time being, though. Its eyes were black, but its systems were currently rebooting.

"Stop it!" he yelled out. "Stop the booting process and hack into its memory banks."

"Sir?" the human soldier asked.

Knuckles nodded. "Jackson, you can do it can you not?"

The soldier named 'Jackson' nodded. "Yes, sir!"

"Do it quickly. That hedgehog couldn't have gotten far, yet. We have to stop him before he reaches the city. If he does, then we will pursue. Shadow must be stopped now!"

**_XXXXX_**

Psych watched everything at a distance. His face grew angry as he watched the hedgehog's actions. _'So, commander was right. That hedgehog is evil!'_ he told himself.

The hedgehog escaped, but Omega was stopped. In a short bit, the robot was reprogrammed and everyone moved forward. They raced ahead of him, but the hedgehog followed behind. Soon, though, the flames began to get hotter. Debris littered the ground. Ahead, he watched everyone climb up onto a rock formation.

Psych followed in pursuit, not wanting to let them get away. He climbed the rock formation and watched everyone move on ahead. He climbed up, only come to a startling site. So, this was what everyone was talking about. It was… it was horrible!

'_This is it, Psych. There's no going back,'_ he told himself.

Psych nodded to himself. The hedgehog immediately raced ahead and into the ruins of Central City, now known as 'Crisis City.' Oh, Iblis would pay for this!


	5. Caught

_The winds howled… The air was thick, making it hard to breathe. Flames licked at us from all sides. However, I trudged on. That demon must be destroyed! Everyone else felt the same worries, but still pushed on. We had to put an end to this once and for all._

_Up ahead, the battle android moved with ease, blocking away many of the coarse winds that held us back. After getting through the city, all we needed to do was reach the core where the flames originated in the northern mountains. That would actually be the easiest part, though._

_A loud cry suddenly echoed, blaring out a loud screeching noise. The human soldiers grabbed their ears in pain. They collapsed to the ground, trying to block out the noise with there hands. Jason, ignoring the pain, tried to reason with them. However, he failed to do so. After this, a loud roar screamed out ahead._

"_He's here!" someone yelled out, nearby._

_The next instant, a huge flaming creature rose up out of the flames. Omega put his arms up, but suddenly flew through the air by a giant flaming fist. The robot crashed into a building behind me. I ran up to him. "Omega!" I called out._

_Screams yelled out. I was launched through the air and into the building that Omega had crashed into. Everything went black. The next instant I remembered came, apparently, a few hours later. I stood up and rubbed my head. However, looking around, nothing was left. The entire platform ahead and been destroyed. No one was left alive. I glanced down at Omega, then at another path out._

_That memory… Omega…_

**Amidst the Flames**

_**Chapter 5 – Caught**_

Shadow shook the thoughts out of his mind. Now is not the time, he told himself. There will be a time to think about these things, but for the moment, all he needed to do was to survive. He raced ahead and into the city. Central City had changed a lot. He now couldn't recognize any part of the once great city it had been—the glamour it held.

The pathways within was carved out of various debris that had melded together from the flames. Far beneath him the ground had sunk and become a pit of molten lava: an aspect of Iblis' malice. The government of the United Federation immediately crashed down into oblivion. No one anticipated Iblis' attack, and hardly anyone was able to actually escape.

Word of the disaster in Soleanna had not reached, and Central City was the first target. After that, everyone in the world knew of Iblis. Future City immediately began planning its own refuge. Night Babylon, located northeast of Central City, prepared for the worst but didn't need it. Iblis never really went through mountains, though everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before he had to cross them in order to wreak greater havoc.

During the attack on Central City, the President, his cabinet, and everyone in the downtown area, perished. Only those in the suburbs managed to escape, of whom immediately sought refuge in the western mountains. Those in the east area were the first hit. Station Square came next, but the loss of life wasn't nearly as much. By this time, everyone had evacuated except a few. Three detectives by the names of Vector, Charmy, and Espio, all of whom lived in Station Square, tried to stay and fight Iblis. The end came too quickly for them.

Iblis raged through the forest next, destroying everything in his path. Upon reaching the mountains, though, he turned north and found Westopolis—located north of the forest and northwest of Central City. By this time, though, everyone had already evacuated, but yet another great city was laid waste.

GUN's great fortress, located in the mountains northeast of Central City, was evacuated due to Iblis making his home nearby. A new base was built in the mountains to the west, where everyone had hid. Iblis rampaged across the land while people starved. Food was scarce, but they somehow managed to grow some in the rocky soil.

By this time, Future City had long abandoned the world, raising itself into the skies. Islands were destroyed; countries vanquished in an instant. Only two things were in the minds of the remaining populace of the world. Fire and fear. The world had literally become a living hell… or perhaps at this point, you may as well call it 'hell,' as nothing much left was living.

Shadow suddenly stopped in his tracks. He hadn't been paying much attention to the direction he was going, now noticing something familiar. A building to his right looked remarkably familiar. It was dented in slightly, having been struck by a heavy object. A large shadow was cast down upon the spot by a taller building, ultimately causing a deep darkness to appear there. This was the exact spot where Iblis had attacked.

"Ah, so this is where it happened," a voice stated from behind.

The black hedgehog raised an eyebrow, surprised. He spun around. "You…"

Knuckles chuckled. "Ah, don't try to chase me with pleasantries. I've had enough of you're bigotry." He smiled, pulling himself into a fighting stance. "Let's settle this here and now!"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "You don't really think you can beat me, do you? You're only stalling for time while your men surround me. You can't fool me, Knuckles, I know what game you're playing, and I tell you now, I'm not falling for it."

The echidna grinned evilly. "It doesn't matter. You're trapped. Your only way out is blocked and your powers are weakened, here. If you try and escape, you'll only be sentencing your own doom."

The black hedgehog gasped out. _'He's right! Knuckles won't let me through without a fight, and the flames have drained my energy severely. I fell right into a trap.'_

Knuckles laughed out loud. He walked forward. "Hah, now you see your fault. I outsmarted y--"

A flying object crashed into him. The echidna lost his balance and fell off of the platform. Shadow raced forward. "Knuckles!" he screamed out.

The echidna hung from a concrete slab that formed a part of the walkway. He wasn't grabbing onto anything, but instead, a pipeline held him up by his dreadlocks. Knuckles, old as he was, simply hung lifelessly having lost consciousness.

Shadow got down onto the ground and reached out. "Knuckles!" he yelled.

Knuckles shook the weariness away then looked up, surprised. Wait, Shadow was helping him? No, it was a trick! The hedgehog was simply trying to fool him. The echidna looked down. He knew he'd die eventually, but he didn't want it to be here. If anything, he wanted a proper burial. Hell, even if he did survive, he didn't think he'd last much longer. His heart was slowing and he felt blood.

The echidna looked up at Shadow again. The hedgehog hung halfway off, reaching down. "Grab my hand!" he called out. 

Knuckles hissed. "Why should I trust you?" he asked.

"You're going to die, anyway," Shadow stated. "Why die here?"

The echidna sighed. The dreadlock that held him up tore, but he quickly reached up and grabbed onto the edge of the platform. Up above, he saw Shadow's arm. Why, if he could reach Shadow's arm, he could pull the hedgehog down with him! …would that be the truly honorable thing to do, though? 

Knuckles made his decision. He reached up with his right hand, grasping Shadow's hand tightly. The hedgehog pulled him up, much to the echidna's surprise. He immediately crashed to the ground, unable to support himself any longer. He coughed, red liquid spewing out.

Shadow kneeled down onto his knees. The echidna stared at him, but not in hatred. "Rouge… she—she loved you, didn't she?" he asked.

The hedgehog didn't say a word, not wishing to. Knuckles got his answer, though, and nodded. "Ah, yes… So I… I see. Shadow, I… I'm sorry… You are not who I thought you were." He coughed again, but continued. "Bring me to Psych, and… and tell him…"

The echidna's voice suddenly faded. His eyes stared blankly. A cold wisp of wind echoed around, and then, it disappeared. Searing heat immediately returned. Knuckles the Echidna breathed his last.

**_XXXXX_**

Psych raced forward, seeing the soldiers just up ahead. He called out to them. "What's going on?!" he asked.

One of them turned to the hedgehog, nodding. "The commander went in a while ago, telling us to wait until he gave the order. However, it hasn't come yet."

The hedgehog stared in disbelief. "No!" he stated. He immediately darted through, despite the yelling of the others.

Ahead he saw Shadow stand up, Knuckles at his feet. The hedgehog suddenly noticed him. "You…" Psych stated.

Shadow gasped. "No, it wasn't like that! I _saved_ him from falling, but he died shortly after. You've got to--"

Psych lashed out in anger. "Attack, attack!" he screamed out.

The soldiers raced forward, leveling their weapons at the hedgehog. Shadow growled. Then, though, something pushed through. He stared in disbelief. "Omega, you're alive!" he called out.

The robot narrowed his eyes at Shadow. **"Target sighted. Mission details: seal Shadow the Hedgehog, now commencing assigned task."**

"Destroy him! Fire, now!" Psych yelled out, staring at Shadow. "I will make you pay for your crimes!"

The soldiers began firing wildly, but the hedgehog was too quick. He darted ahead, racing up in front of Omega. With the robot standing in the way, no one could get his shots passed. Shadow stared into the robot's eyes. "Do what you think is right," he stated.

Omega glared at the hedgehog. He stood right there, completely still. Was he willingly giving himself up? The robot turned, noticed a figure in the distance. On a far building, watching the scene, a light purple figure stood proudly. It was feminine, lavender in color, wearing purple clothing. He couldn't make anything further out of it, though. Who was she…?

The girl noticed that she had been spotted and quickly darted away, disappearing. Shadow watched, too, but didn't see a thing. Omega turned back down to Shadow. He aimed his weapon, ready to fire. However, something… stopped him. Something deep down inside just wouldn't let go. His arm quivered, shaking wildly. No matter what he did, though, he couldn't get the urge to shoot.

Psych hissed. _'Useless robot, I'll take care of this myself!'_ he told himself.

The hedgehog pulled out a small object and ran forward. Using his telekinetic powers, he pushed Omega aside. Shadow got into a fighting pose, watching Psych's movement. He frowned, but didn't make a move. "You can't beat me no matter how hard you try," he stated.

Psych smiled. He pulled out a small green gem, waving it in front of the black hedgehog. "The server's are the seven chaos. Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that utilizes the chaos. Now, drain away the chaos!"

The gem reacted. It glowed brightly, blinding everyone in sight. Shadow backed away, suddenly getting weaker. "No way!" he yelled out.

Energy entered the gem from all directions, but most came from Shadow. The hedgehog collapsed to his knees, no longer able to stand. Finally, he crashed into the ground. His energy completely drained, he fell out of consciousness.

The white hedgehog pointed down at Shadow. "Get him!" he yelled.

A few soldiers ran down and grabbed onto the black hedgehog, dragging him off. Psych pulled out the Chaos Emerald he found earlier in his other hand, lifting it up. Knuckles' lifeless body rose into the air, floating on nothingness. Omega did not move, receiving a final spat from Psych as he and the soldiers all left. The robot merely thought over everything, wondering about what he had almost done.


	6. Freed

_All was dark. Only dark. Sleep… so tired… nothing came together. Just sleep. Endless sleep. Dreaming of the world that was, or that may be. Sleep… sleep…_

_Something has awakened!_

_My eyes opened, and a noise screamed out. The deafening blasts of gunfire. A female stood down below me, struck in deep surprise. Wait a second, she was in danger!_

_I jumped forward just as the capsule erupted in flames. I pushed the girl to the ground. "Stay here," I proclaimed._

_Immediately I jumped away. The robot shot wildly, aiming straight for me. I jumped up against the wall and gripped myself against it. The robot screamed out. "Must eradicate all Eggman's robots," it stated._

_I jumped off my perch and against another part of the wall. He turned again, then I jumped in front of him. He aimed for me, but missed. I lunged at him, charging up a bolt of energy. I was ready to shoot it down into its head, and…_

"_Hey, hold up!" The girl jumped between us, immediately stopping the robot and myself from destroying each other._

_Rouge… Omega… I fought the good fight. Now I shall sleep in peace for the rest of eternity._

**Amidst the Flames**

_**Chapter 6 – Freed**_

Psych gripped his hand into a fist. The human soldiers of GUN lifted the hedgehog into place, sealing him inside. The white hedgehog walked forward and placed the gem inside the top section of the diamond-shaped machine. The gem disappeared into the depths. A red glow blazed out from the sides.

The energy field created a negative chaos impulse. Shadow the Hedgehog requires Chaos Energy to live. However, he will not die if he loses it. It will simply render him unconscious. The field is powered by a shard of the Master Emerald. Knuckles learned of Shadow's power. Taking a small shard from the Master Emerald, the gem was able to absorb all the Chaos energy in the immediate area. This caused Shadow to fall from consciousness and will stay that way so long as the gem is in place.

Psych snarled. That robot turned out to be useless! It couldn't do a simple task it was ordered to do. No matter, it wouldn't make it out of the city in one piece. Iblis will destroy it, finally ridding the world of the traitor's Shadow and Omega. Commander Knuckles would have it no other way.

He closed his eyes, the memory of Knuckles' memorial ceremony poised in his mind. He nodded his head. It was of the commander's own interests that Psych take the position of GUN's new leader, and so he shall. With the hedgehog out of the way, his other wishes would come true. _'Commander, I will respect your wish. Me, and my children, and my children's children, will find a way to stop Iblis! This is my promise.'_

The soldiers saluted. "Sir," one of them said.

Psych saluted, as well. "Come, let us go. We have plans to make."

**_XXXXX_**

The large battle android trudged across the ruins. Winds howled, pushing him this way and that. Flames lick up at his body, threatening to take him. However, he pressed on, marching forward. He had to get out of here!

His true purpose had come to life, he had succeeded. However, why did it feel so much like failure? Wait, was he feeling? But that was not possible… Robots didn't have feelings, or emotions… Shadow was right, though. He was feeling. He was feeling the loss of a… a friend…

A small alcove lay up ahead. Perhaps it could provide a covering…? Moving along, he didn't here the winds whistle behind him. A large metal beam crashed into him. The robot flew forward, crashing into the wall. He landed on the ground, but did not move.

Everything began to fade. His sensors were going offline. Omega tried to reactivate his systems, but nothing was working. He felt some sparks out of his back. His control panel popped open, clearly damaged. He lost power. Suddenly, before he realized it, everything went black. E-123 Omega saw no more.

**_XXXXX_**

She watched the world through this peril. It passed her by, not witnessing her presence. No one did. No one knew her pain. No one knew what she had felt. The flames were her master. They called to her… they fed her… they created her. They were apart of her, and not even death could separate it.

Throughout all her days, she watched the world go by. Memories of the past disappeared, and new ones were reborn. How many times had she died in the past, only to be reawakened yet again? As time went on, old memories passed away. Once the flames died away, she knew that she would too.

Blaze the Cat. That was what she was now called. And to think that she was once named Princess Elise Soleanna the Third. Never again, for the flames fed her thirst. So long as they lived, she lived. She was Elise no more, and never would be again. Elise died, along with the doctor, and the rest of Soleanna.

She raced as fast as her legs could take her. The soldiers had already left, which was good enough for her. She didn't feel too happy, though. Shadow was gone, and Omega likely wouldn't last much longer, either. She stared ahead. _'I have to reach him!'_

Jumping up through the burning city, the flames licking at the buildings, she made her way to the central area. Here Iblis had hit the hardest, and here she had seen them. However, they were gone now. She nodded, jumping onto a few particles that had melded together to form a long platform. It consisted of anything one could think of: cars, poles, glass, cement, household appliances—anything.

The storms were getting worse, likely meaning that Iblis was approaching. Not wishing to get caught, she ran ahead and tried to spot Omega. It was difficulty in the howling winds, but finally she found a small alcove just inside a building where the robot was sitting. Then she realized what happened. "No!" she yelled out.

The robot had been badly damaged. She ran up to him, checking his power supply. It was completely out. Its eyes were black, deactivated. She was too late.

She began to walk away, but then she heard a noise. It was a… a chirping sound. Birds had long since fled this area, so wha—what could it be? Where could it…

The girl ran to the robot, digging into its back. Inside was a small little bird. It was flame red maroon color. The bird was one of the flicky, a special kind that came from somewhere else. Omega's creator must have had built in some sort of endless life for it so long as it was inside, so that the power source would last forever.

The bird looked up and her and chirped in her hands. She smiled. Omega wasn't dead. She had found him. She had found the true Omega.

Blaze turned back. A large flaming creature waded through the city, sniffing the air. She quickly ran off, the bird in her hand. She raced out of the city as fast as she could go. She found the mountains separating the western lands from the east. There wasn't much left for a young animal to go, but she knew she'd find it.

Blaze lifted her hand up into the air and opened it up. The bird stared at her for a bit then turned around. She nodded. "Go on," she proclaimed. 

The bird took another glance at her, staring into her eyes. Weary eyes from all the dangers that it had face, all the sorrow present. Finally, at last, it decided to fly away. It would find a new home. Surely, somewhere out there, in the midst of the fires of Iblis, it would find a place.

Blaze had found her place, and so would Omega. She crossed her arms. She knew not how long her life would last. It may be a millennia before Iblis is finally destroyed, the memories passing down into shadow. However, she would treasure this moment in her heart forever. Omega, the 'real' Omega, had been finally freed.

* * *

**Author's Note(s)**: With Blaze's cameo in the previous chapter, did you not think she would appear here? I knew that I'd need someone to replace Omega's viewpoint, and I found Blaze as the perfect candidate. You will have to read the upcoming "Embers of Solaris" fiction in order to get some more details on this.

Well, it's over. How was it? Rather short, but I thought it was nice. Now, why is it early? Well, I decided to try my luck and submit it to this year's SWA. I doubt it'll get in, but we'll see.


End file.
